South San ISD board reshuffles

By Francisco Vara-Orta :
May 28, 2013
: Updated: May 28, 2013 10:39pm

South San Antonio Independent School District's board has a new president, Rose Marie Martinez, who nominated herself for the position and deposed Helen Madla in a 5-2 vote at a meeting Tuesday night.

Two trustees elected in November were voted into the remaining officer positions: Carlos Longoria as vice president, to replace Trinidad Mata, and Joseph “JoeJo” Savage as secretary.

Martinez and Savage bypassed Madla to call the meeting, which Madla had refused to schedule. Most of it was in closed session to discuss a “media report” and Superintendent Rebecca Robinson's qualifications and duties.

The board took no action on Robinson.

Before the board went into executive session, trustee Connie Prado made a statement criticizing a recent San Antonio Express-News editorial regarding South San. Trustees later voted to send a letter to district employees regarding an unspecified media report, which Martinez later said had to do with teacher contracts.

Madla and Mata had said in recent weeks that they believed that Martinez was negotiating for the support of other trustees in an attempt to forestall personnel decisions by Robinson. They said a looming board takeover by Prado or Martinez was a possible prelude to suspending Robinson, who was hired less than a year ago.

Martinez adamantly denied any such plot and said she only wanted to be board president to work on South San's budget, citing her college degree and experience working in the district's finance department. Martinez said it was her turn, as she's been a trustee since November 2010 and not served in the role yet.

Prado also denied wanting to be president and reiterated her support for Robinson.

Martinez told reporters Tuesday that she would be willing to turn over the reins in a year and said she would try to better unify the board.

School boards usually focus on budgets during summer. The last time the board reorganized was in June last year, by unanimous vote.